West Indians came to Britain for many different reasons. Some were seeking better opportunities for themselves and their children. Some came to work for a while, save money and return home. Some had been recruited because Britain was short of workers to run the transport system, postal service and hospitals. Other West Indians were returning soldiers who had fought for Britain during the Second World War (1939-1945).

Source 1a

Source 1d

Source 1b

Source 1e

Source 1c

Source 1f

2. What difficulties do these sources mention?

Source 2a

Source 2b

• Dudley Yapp
• Mona Baptiste
• Eric Linton
• Charles Wright
• Obadiah Jones

Look at the sources

4a. Find your West Indian on the Windrush Passenger List.

4b. Which island in the West Indies did they come from?

4c. Where did they stay when they first arrived?

4d. What was their job before they arrived in the UK?

Source 3: Passenger List from the Empire Windrush

5. Now scroll down to find your chosen West Indian and find out more about their experiences. For the one you choose, answer the following questions:

i. Has your person found work?
ii. Is it better or worse than what they did in the W. Indies?
iii. What difficulties have they had to face?

Source 4a: Dudley Yapp

Source 4e: Charles Wright

Source 4b: Obadiah Jones

Source 4d: Mona Baptiste

Source 4c: Eric Linton

6. Now write a letter 'back home from your chosen W. Indian describing their first impressions of Britain.

Bound for Britain

Not all white Britons welcomed the black Britons. Many found that the colour of their skins provoked unfriendly reactions. For example, despite the desperate shortage of labour some West Indians still found it difficult to get good jobs. Often they were forced to accept jobs which they were over-qualified for, or they were paid less than their white colleagues.

West Indians also experienced difficulties in finding suitable places to live. Since few had much money, they had to find cheap housing to rent near to their workplace. This was often in the poor inner-cities. Even if they did have enough money to rent better quality housing, West Indians had to face the fact that some landlords refused to rent to black people. They would be confronted with insulting signs in house windows that said ‘Rooms to Let: No dogs, no coloureds’. This meant that West Indians had little choice but to rent homes in a slum.

In 1958, in areas where bigger numbers of West Indians lived, there were outbreaks of violence against them. In particular, in Nottingham and London mobs of white people attacked black people in the streets, smashing and burning their homes.

West Indians had been invited to come to Britain, so they also felt that it was their home too. To be discriminated against was a shock which they had not been prepared for. Some returned to the West Indies, but many remained - despite the difficulties they faced. They have worked hard and made a contribution to British life.

To find out more about the experiences of West Indians who travelled to Britain on the Empire Windrush try:
Moving Here, which has photos, maps and documents on migration experiences of the last 200 years

Windrush - the Passengers, on the BBC website

Ask at your library for Patricia Cumper, One Bright Child (Black Amber, 1998)